BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday extended the operation time of Aahar centres to prevent congestion and minimise physical contact.
As per the order issued by the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department, the Rs 5 meal at these centres will be served from 10 am to 4 pm. People have been asked to maintain 1.5 metre distance from one another while standing in the queue.
H&UD Secretary G Mathivathanan asked collectors, municipal commissioners and executive officers of NACs to take the help of police, if required, to regulate the crowd. He also asked the officials to put hand wash system outside the centres and ensure that people wash their hands before joining the queue. At the time of purchasing token, the people will drop money inside a box at the counter to prevent physical contact. The token counters will be sanitised frequently. The authorities have also been asked to take measures to decongest the hand wash area inside the hall and encourage the people to carry their meals outside the canteen to prevent mass gathering.